Turtle-trap.



om o m w. u 1 d* e t n e t a DI L 5 7 4, 3. n.. A l 0. N

v TuBTLE TRAP.- (ppTiceion med oct.v 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ELAM JEFFERSON RUSK, OF KLEINWOOD, LOUISIANA.

TU RTLlE-TRAP.Y

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 703,475, dated July 1, 1902. Application filed October 19l 19Q1. Serial No. 79,247. (No model.)

To all whom, t Wtcty concern: y Be it known that I, ELAM J EEEERsoN RUsx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kleinwood, in the parish of Avoyelles and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvementin A'IYurtleJIrapS, of which the following is a specication. l

This invention is an improved construction of turtle-trap, the object being to provide a simple and efficient construction of trap which can be iioated at any desired point for-the purpose of entrapping turtles.

With this object in view the invention consists in the peculiar construction of the various parts and their novel combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed outin the claims. Y

In the drawings forming a part of this specication, Figure lis a perspective view o'f a turtle-trap constructed in .accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View. Fig. 3 isa section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4C is a sectional plan view.

In carrying out my. invention I employ a box or case A, open at the bottom, the top B' thereof lbeing made sloping, as indicated, th'e end B projecting` beyond thermain portion of the box. This ',box is intended'to oat top uppermost vand is provided with two buoyant cylindersO, and'beneath the wider end is a cage D, adapted to retain the turtles after being entrapped. The trap-door E is pivotally arranged in an opening produced in the top of the box or case,the pivotal shaft of said trap-door having weighted armF attached thereto, the purpose of which'is .to normally hold the trapdoor'in^an elevated position and flush withthe top B of the box or'case. As before stated, the forward end of the top projects beyond the end of the box and extends -below the surface of the water. When the trapis completed and ioating, the main portion of the box or case rests upon the water and provides a suitable landingplace for the turtles. The cage portion being Aarranged entirely'fbelow the surface of the Waterjtheturtle'will crawl up the inclined top, and as soon as the trap-door is reached and overbalancedl the turtle will be deposited 5o into the case and the trap-door automatically returned to its former position, ready to receive the next turtle.

It will thus be seen that the trap is always set and will continue to operate until the 55 cage becomes overcrowded. y,

Having thusfully describedmyinvention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is*

l. In a turtle-trap the combination with a 6o ioatable box or case having a'sloping top providedwith' the pivoted trap-doorranda cage arranged beneath the said box or case, said sloping top projectingbeyond theY end ofthe box or case and'adapted to extendbelow the 65 Water-line for the purpose-'described 2. A turtle-trap comprising in combination a floatablebox or case,the topor cover of which is inclined and'provided witha pivoted trap-door, said trap-door having a' weight- 7o ed frame connected thereto adapted to nor mally hold' itin a position flush with the top of the box yor case-'and a cage arranged beneath the box orcase and adapted to receive the turtleafter falling through the trapdoor, 75

substantially as shown and described.

3l A turtle-trap comprising in combination a box `or` case'havingan inclined top, the for= wardend of Which-projects beyond the end ofthe box or case, the -pivot'edtrap-door ar 8o ranged in l.thel inclinedtop and provided with a Weightedarm, the cage arranged beneath the box or'case'and-th'e buoyant cylinders attached to the box or case at its lower end, substantially asl shownand described.

ELAM .IEFFERSON- RUSK. 

